Research, writing & sustainability fantasy wishlists with Nash Gierak
It’s always fascinating to listen to individuals share their passions and gain a glimpse into the motivations behind their work. This particular discussion was no different! Talking to Nash was an absolute delight, and her insights on achieving sustainable business practices are so valuable.
Listen to this episode on Substack
Where to Listen:
About Nash
Nash Gierak is a sustainability consultant, strategist, and writer based in London. She works with a range of businesses—from start-ups, to well-established companies—to help them confidently meet (and exceed!) the sustainability standards within their industries.
“You realize that your individual, lifestyle, I mean, it’s not insignificant at all, especially not over the course of, you know, decades and such. But when you look at it compared to what big corporations are doing, like the fossil fuels industry, it feels really hopeless. And I think that that obviously sort of inspired me quite a lot because then you, when you’re working in something like food and events and things like that, you can really, you have that information to empower businesses to take action. And again, it’s really important for me as well that businesses are really vocal about what they do, to inspire other people within that industry.”
Highlights from the episode
On a winding career path
“And I think probably a lot of people who have started their own businesses, maybe a bit later on in life, have that similar kind of winding road to it, you know, is something that I can definitely relate to when it’s something I hear over and over again. You know, like, I, I started as this and then I found my way to this, and it’s not always a straight road.
But I started my business it was…when my first, child was born, I was very much sort of like activated in a way where I wanted to do something really meaningful. And I wanted to know how that related to lots of things that I’ve done in the past. But I also wanted to be around for my, for my kids, but also now kids.”
On the skills you need to become a sustainability consultant
“You need to have a good, solid understanding of those issues, but again, you have to be good at like, as an intermediary between, being able to read all the scientific papers and studies and then being able to communicate those in an accessible way.”
On continually upskilling
“I’m also working towards being a carbon literacy trainer with the Carbon Literacy Project. There’s like a, a bunch of things that you can do now and some things that I wasn’t necessarily aware of right at the beginning.”
On what a sustainability consultant does
“But in terms of what a sustainability consultant does, I tend to look at the industry that the business is operating within. And I will do, a review to, to look at any precedents for, for things that other, businesses, competitors are, are doing.
Like what’s possible within that industry projections of, environmental things that may affect that business. So it’s kinda like a risk management thing. You look to legislation that’s coming in, or current legislation…”
Mentions:
- How to be a minimalist (the sustainable way) – Nash Gierak’s podcast
- Klimato – carbon labelling for restaurants
- Typology skincare
- Suri toothbrush
Key Takeaways
- A great first step to creating a strategy is creating a wishlist
- We must be considering end of life for products and being transparent in talking about the reality of it
Where to connect with Nash
Website
boldgreenstrategies.com
IG
@boldgreenstrategies + @nashgierak
LinkedIn
Nash Gierak | Bold Green Strategies
Let’s Connect:
Say hi over on Instagram. Let me know if you listened or read and what you thought!
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Hey, I’m Kirsty McGill the creative behind Elm Leaf Studio. I’ve been a designer for 13 years now and building websites for most of them.
Elm Leaf Studio is a creative studio that exists to help small, ethically-minded businesses grow and thrive.
When I’m not designing I mostly spend my time running around after a toddler nowadays, and if I get a spare moment I enjoy reading, learning and making art.
